Berridge, Jesse. Gracys Walk: A Tale. London: Simpkin Marshall Limited, [1929]. First edition. Octavo, pp. [1-16] 1-239 [240: blank]. Original green cloth with paper onlay title labels on front and spine panels, map endpapers. Outer joints tender, a very good copy. #1931. $25. Historical novel (Essex, England during the early 17th century) with antiquarian atmosphere and strong hints of the supernatural: visions, wizards, crystal gazing, Paracelsus, and the ghostly persistence of a certain Lady Alice Mildmay in a certain lane, Gracys Walk. The author returned to this same period, and style, in other novels but, with the exception of The Stronghold (listed in Locke and Reginald), they seem to have escaped the notice of genre experts. The author has a plodding style but evidently felt more than a casual interest in the supernatural. In the present work he notes in a preface, "There are some Lives, as there are Landscapes, that to a receptive mind, lend themselves peculiarly to symbolism, and suggest, in their external expression, a significance of a spiritual kind, and that their principal value, moreover, lies therein." An artist attuned to such things, he goes on to say, can create a character "in such a way as to stir the mind to bewilderment and terror even, at the possibilities of the soul.". Seller Inventory # 1931

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Bibliographic Details

Title: Gracys Walk

Publisher: Simpkin Marshall, London

Publication Date: 1929

Binding: Hardback

Condition: Very Good

Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

Edition: First Edition.

Store Description

When I began my bookselling business in 1996 I called it "Eldritch Books" because that adjective at least partly covered the type of material I offered (and because its similarity to my own surname seemed so -- eldritch). "Ghost stories" would be another handy, if somewhat reductive, term. Most of it is fiction from the 19th and early 20th century with a strong emphasis on the fantastic. Since the most familiar and relevant genre terms in use today -- "science fiction," "fantasy," "supernatural," "horror" -- were not so much in use when these books were first published, pegging them that way can be anachronistic. But that should give you the general idea. I don't have much in the way of American pulp (either in magazine or specialty press book form) but otherwise my interests range widely from high-brow to middle-brow to low-brow to amateur/eccentric. You're more likely to find rare and obscure works here than high spots. (Or at least they're obscure now, whatever their status was when first published.) In 2001 I went to work for L. W. Currey as cataloguer and general assistant. Since 2014 I've been back working on my own. I have exhibited at convention fairs (such as WFC and Readercon) in the past. I began collecting and studying antiquarian fantasy around 1980. Some of my essays have appeared in genre publications such as NYRSF, Wormwood and F&SF. I tend to carefully research my inventory and write extensive notes. (If another dealer wishes to make use of any of these notes, I'd appreciate the courtesy of putting such excerpts in quotes and giving proper attribution to me. That's what I do when I quote from any of my reference works.) I will be gradually listing my inventory on ABE over the coming years. I hope you find something of interest.

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Robert Eldridge, Bookseller
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I ship only by U.S. Postal Service. All shipments are packed carefully and mailed with insurance and (for domestic shipments) tracking information. Except where specified for extra large items, rates are: Domestic Media Mail: $5. Domestic Priority: $10. International First Class (must be under 4 lbs.): $25. International Global Priority (required by USPS regulations for anything over 4 lbs.) -- ask for quo...

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